Researchers have identified various building blocks essential for happiness. Social support and autonomy play important roles across cultures.
But there are also variations in people's beliefs about what makes them happy, such as in collectivistic cultures where relationship harmony predicts SWB, where people seek happiness through more socially engaging means than individualistic ones.
1. Religion
Religions vary in their teachings and practices, yet most promote spiritual lives of prayer, meditation, worship, charity giving and charity receipt. Many also incorporate community rituals for communion between like-minded individuals. Religious practice appears to be associated with greater happiness: studies indicate that people who regularly attend church are happier than those who don't; religiously affiliated individuals tend to become more involved with civic activities within their communities as a result of being religiously affiliated.
But it is essential to recognize that the association is stronger when we consider overall life satisfaction as opposed to feelings of happiness or joy alone. This is due to pleasure-based hedonic happiness being somewhat less impactful in contributing to overall well-being than meaning-based eudaimonic happiness (think Charles Schulz's Peanuts characters' belief that "happiness is a warm puppy", or Bobby McFerrin's song suggesting it is simply about not worrying too much).
Research also highlights the role culture has on one's happiness. People living in more developed nations, like the US or Japan, tend to report being happier than those residing in less-than-developed ones. This may be caused by higher incomes or by cultural values reflected in how each society pursues happiness. So for instance in collectivistic cultures where relationship harmony predicts SWB, happiness can be found through socially engaging activities; while in individualistic societies where self-esteem and personal achievement play a greater role in finding peace of mind. Religion and autonomy both play an essential role in individual happiness; therefore, researchers should continue studying these topics, since their effects can have profound ramifications on both individuals and nations in either direction.
2. Society
Happiness lies not only within our communities, workplaces and national environments; it lies also within how we interact with one another. Our thoughts, feelings and actions have an enormous influence over other people - creating a powerful cycle of kindness and generosity that ultimately brings us joy. That is why studies indicate that happiness levels tend to increase when living in more equitable societies.
But the concept of happiness varies across cultures, as evidenced by different language usage of "happy" or "happiness." For instance, an American conception of happiness emphasizes being upbeat while Chinese perspectives focus on being solemn and reserved; these differences emphasize the necessity of understanding cultural context when studying happiness and well-being.
Some of the most consistent findings across cultures involve income and wealth; more wealthy people typically report greater levels of happiness than their less well-off counterparts. However, some researchers have observed that income can sometimes be misleading when discussing emotional well-being--the experience of joy or contentment.
Other key cultural influences on happiness include how much an individual focuses on self-construction, and the degree to which their culture is collectivist or individualist. Collectivism predicts that people will seek happiness by emphasizing social relationships and participating in more interpersonally satisfying activities; individualism predicts they'll focus more on improving themselves and seeking autonomy as means for finding it.
Research demonstrates that family ties and social roles predict happiness in Switzerland, Australia, and Iceland; however, such factors don't reliably predict happiness in other countries such as Russia, Germany, China or Japan where strong interpersonal relationships may conflict with culturally valued qualities like maintaining social harmony.
3. Family
Family is often seen as the source of great happiness in life. Many cultures consider the relationship with one's parents and siblings the primary source of pleasure in their lives, providing emotional and physical support as needed throughout their lifetimes. Families provide invaluable lessons about love, acceptance and how best to show it to one another - invaluable experiences which shape lives throughout.
Family can bring immense happiness, yet also cause discontentment for some due to differing cultural norms regarding what makes a happy family. Western culture's idea that happiness lies within nuclear family units with only two children may not apply across cultures; while more expansive understandings of family are more valid in other contexts.
Researchers have explored the role culture plays in happiness. Some investigate differences and others on needs. While financial well-being may not depend on culture directly, research indicates that higher levels of satisfaction - like joy - can be strongly tied to one's culture.
One study explored the impact of culture's individualistic/collectivist dichotomy on happiness and its pursuit. They discovered that individualistic societies such as Germany and East Asia experienced lower well-being than individualistic ones such as the US; individuals in these more individualistic cultures such as America were more likely to define happiness through self-oriented methods, while individuals living within collective cultures like East Asia defined happiness more socially engaging ways.
4. Work
Happiness has long been the subject of research and discussion among both lay people and academics. Global surveys like the World Values Survey and OECD's Better Life Index attempt to pinpoint what makes people happy; while scientific experts disagree about how best to approach the concept - some favoring pleasure-based hedonic factors while others promote more internal experiences such as gratitude, spirituality, meaning, or pride (Diener et al. 2007).
Happiness is a subjective concept with multiple layers, from love and appreciation to joy. Barbara Fredrickson suggests in her book Positivity that happiness should be understood more as an experience of connectedness and flow where each positive emotion supports and feeds off one another (Fredrickson 2010).
Work can bring many people great joy. It allows them to achieve a sense of purpose and accomplishment while learning new skills; additionally, it provides social interactions between peers.
Research indicates the importance of work to human well-being, with job satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment being significant predictors of happiness (Diener & Suh, 2000). Businesses have acknowledged this correlation: when McDonald's first opened its Russian operations one of their initial tasks was training its clerks to smile more frequently (Diener & Suh, 2000).
Research also confirms this claim; research also shows that having fun and enjoyment at work can increase employee happiness levels, yet some managers worry this approach could compromise professionalism or increase the risk to employees through injury or illness. Other managers worry that failing to emphasize formal qualifications and strict work rules will lead to lower quality work outputs.
5. Environment
An environment which is clean and healthy brings great pleasure to us all. It gives us breathtaking natural sights like mountains, seas, deserts and valuable natural resources like water, air and minerals as well as protection from microbes or other threats; therefore it is vital that we appreciate and conserve it for future generations.
Environmental sustainability is an integral component of global happiness and well-being. Everything on the earth's ecosystem works together, so everything plays its own unique part. Humans play a large part in maintaining the ecosystem; humans often cause positive outcomes while at other times we cause harm - making sustainable choices is important so as to minimize negative impacts and have positive results for all involved.
Studies suggest that our environment can have a direct effect on our subjective wellbeing. For example, one study had participants from four cultures that range along an individualistic/collectivist continuum (United States, Germany, Russia and East Asia) complete surveys about their subjective wellbeing (SWB). Researchers then asked these same participants questions regarding satisfaction with the environment. It was found that individuals from collectivist cultures experienced more satisfaction with it compared with individuals in individualistic cultures.
It may be due to people living in these countries being more focused on community than material possessions and are spiritually connected with nature, but results from cross-country studies must be interpreted with caution since there can be many confounding factors - like air pollution or levels of development - which could alter findings; so future work should focus on specific environmental variables like green space, blue spaces or natural features like trees, rivers or waterfalls to examine their impact.
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